Third tone Mandarin words (mǎ)
Tone 3 · Dipping (low), then rising · 上声 shǎngshēng
The third tone is dipping (low), then rising. In full form the third tone falls to the bottom of your range and then rises again, so it has a 'valley' shape. In real speech, though, the third tone is usually pronounced as a low dip with little or no final rise - this is the 'half third tone'. The single most useful thing to learn is that the third tone is mainly a LOW tone, not a bouncy one.
Below are the 213 single-syllable Mandarin words that carry the third tone in our deck, ordered most-common-first. Each shows tone-coloured pinyin and its meaning — tap the character to hear it, and follow the link to a full word page where one exists.
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the third tone in Mandarin?+
The third tone (上声 shǎngshēng) is dipping (low), then rising, pitch 214 (falling-rising). In full form the third tone falls to the bottom of your range and then rises again, so it has a 'valley' shape. In real speech, though, the third tone is usually pronounced as a low dip with little or no final rise - this is the 'half third tone'. The single most useful thing to learn is that the third tone is mainly a LOW tone, not a bouncy one.
What are some third-tone words in Chinese?+
This page lists 213 single-syllable third-tone words ranked by frequency. The most common include wǒ (我, I / me), yǒu (有, to have), nǐ (你, you), yě (也, also / too).
How do I practise the third tone?+
Hear it, then say it. Tap any word above to play native audio for the third tone, then repeat it. ToneDeck scores your pronunciation so you know when the contour is right.
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How it sounds, the contour, and common mistakes.
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The top 1,000 words by frequency, with audio.
Every word grouped by official HSK level 1–6.
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